Geographical Features

Geographical features are all those natural formations of the planet Earth’s surface which form the landscapes of a country. All these formations, which are characteristics of any given region of the world, have names in geography; they are the mountains, plains, plateau, valleys, rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, etc. All these features have been shaped by natural phenomena, such as rain, winds, volcanoes, and especially geological movement of tectonic plates of the Earth over millions of years.

Mountains can be geologically new or old as they are usually arranged in chains, which are called range, like the Andes mountain range in South America. If the system of mountains is new, they can be very high and the mountains have snow-capped peaks, with the tallest ones being called mounts, which are abbreviated “Mt.”, such as Mt Everest in Asia, or Mt Aconcagua in South America. A chain of mountains usually constitute a divide or water shed, determining the direction in which water streams flow, sometimes being the natural boundaries or borders between countries.

Valleys are limited open spaces, often with grassy land, surrounded by chains of mountains. They are usually wide enough to be inhabited by human beings and ruminants. A valley is emptied by a main river and its creek-like tributaries, whose water originates from melting snow on top of mountain peaks. It is usually communicated with a wide open plain through a ravine or gorge.

Rivers can be large and small, flowing into oceans, seas or large hollow areas called depressions, forming lakes. Large rivers are fed by other important water streams, which are called tributaries. A large region drained by a big river and its tributaries is called basin. Rivers can be created by rain water or by the melting of snow in the mountains, or by both. The largest river in the world is the Amazon, which originates from the union of snow-melting streams in the Andes, in Peru.

Plains are large areas of flat land, usually covered by rich, black sediments where grass grow and large herds of ruminants thrive. The black sediment, the top layer of plains, are geologically new in the Earth history. They can be referred to as savannas, prairies, steppes, or grasslands. There are famous plains, such as the Pampas (Argentina), the Great Plains (USA), and the Aquitaine (France).

Oceans and seas are large masses of salt water covering the the lowest parts of the Earth surface. They account for about 70% of the planet’s surface. Life began in the oceans as primitive prokaryotic cells, most of them being cyanobacteria.

Below, on of many geographical features, a grassy plain; here a Central Asia grassy steppe, which is very fit for animal husbandry. The nomadic tribes have been its main inhabitants.